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Query: UMLS:C0000727 (acute abdomen)
 3,084 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pseudomembranous colitis is an uncommon pathology although the number of cases recorded has risen steadily over the past decades. It is closely correlated with antibiotic treatment and above all affects immunodepressed subjects. It is manifested by a wide variety of clinical symptoms, ranging from simple diarrhea to acute abdomen. The latter, although fortunately extremely rare, often requires surgical therapy.
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PMID:[Surgical treatment of pseudomembranous colitis. Considerations on a clinical case]. 908 17

We report a case of acute abdomen caused by the invasion of the ascending colon by larvae of Anisakis simplex in a 57 year-old-woman whose initial symptoms were colic abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever. The diagnosis was done by the histological study of the surgical specimen in which two parasites were morphologically identified in the submucosa. Although a causal relationship of the disease with the ingestion of crude fish could not be established initially, there were antecedents of ingestion of anchovy in vinegar (Engraulis encrasicholus) and dyspeptic symptoms for several months.
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PMID:[Anisakidosis of the colon as a cause of acute abdomen]. 928 Apr 31

We report an outbreak of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in a large Dublin hospital. From January to June 1995, inclusive, 139 patients were affected; the mean age of cases was 68.8 +/- 19 years. Clinical information is available for 73 cases identified during the first four months of the outbreak. The majority of patients presented with abrupt onset of watery diarrhoea; however, 19.2% presented with an unexplained pyrexia following a course of antimicrobial therapy and 5.5% presented with a surgical acute abdomen. Twenty patients (27.4%) experienced relapsing disease and seven (9.6%) patients died. Seventy-six percent of cases received a cephalosporin prior to the onset of disease, the highest relative risks occurring with third-generation agents; however, 9.6% of patients affected had not been exposed to antimicrobial therapy in the preceding eight weeks. Pyrolysis mass spectrometry identified two clusters of isolates, representing two strains of C. difficile. There was marked spatial clustering of these strains, with each confined to a separate area of the hospital. Infection control measures and an antibiotic policy were introduced. Throughout the outbreak period the use of the most frequently used cephalosporin in the hospital increased; this was accompanied paradoxically by a reduction in the number of new cases of CDAD.
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PMID:Simultaneous outbreaks of two strains of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in a general hospital. 969 45

There are three clinical presentations of anthrax in humans: cutaneous (>95% of cases), orogastric and inhalational. The infectious form, the spore, enters the body and is thought to germinate within macrophages either at the site of inoculation (cutaneous or orogastric) or in the regional lymph node (inhalational). The bacillus then synthesizes its antiphagocytic capsule and the lethal and oedema toxins which interfere with the non-specific host defences leading to the characteristic locally destructive lesion and spread by lymphatics to the systemic circulation and other organs. The cutaneous form begins as a papule which progresses over several days to a vesicle and then ulcerates. There is often oedema, sometimes massive, probably due to the oedema toxin that surrounds the lesions which then develop a characteristic black eschar. The patient may be febrile with mild to severe systemic symptoms of malaise, headache and toxicity. Oropharyngeal anthrax presents with severe sore throat or an ulcer in the oropharyngeal cavity associated with neck swelling, fever, toxicity and dysphagia. Gastrointestinal anthrax begins with anorexia, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain which may be similar to an acute abdomen. There may be diarrhoea and ascites, both of which may be haemorrhagic. Inhalational anthrax begins with non-specific symptoms of malaise, fever, myalgia and non-productive cough. After a period of 2-3 days, this is followed by a sudden onset of severe respiratory distress associated with diaphoresis, cyanosis and increased chest pain. There may be a widened mediastinum and pleural effusions on chest X-ray. Death follows in 24-36 h from respiratory failure, sepsis and shock. The diagnosis of anthrax is easy if it is considered. The organism is readily observed by Gram or Wright stain in local lesions or blood smear and can be easily cultured from the blood and other body fluids. However, because of its rarity, it is not often included in the differential diagnosis and in inhalational disease the diagnosis is rarely made until the patient is moribund. More rapid diagnostic tests are under development. Penicillin, combined with supportive care, remains the mainstay of treatment, although the organism is susceptible in vitro to many antibiotics. In recent years, there have been significant advances in our knowledge of the organism and its toxins and it is anticipated that similar progress will be made in the future in developing more rapid diagnostic tests and new modalities of treatment.
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PMID:Clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment of anthrax 1047 74

A 37-year-old woman presented with an acute abdomen following the onset of watery diarrhea. Spontaneous peritonitis was detected, along with evidence of a focal sigmoid colon perforation. Subsequent postoperative colonoscopic studies revealed collagenous colitis with a focal, deep, nongranulomatous ulcer in the sigmoid colon. Although the literature suggests that collagenous colitis tends to have a relatively 'benign' clinical course characterized by chronic or episodic watery diarrhea. Potentially serious and life- threatening complications may occur in this microscopic form of inflammatory bowel disease.
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PMID:Spontaneous peritonitis from perforation of the colon in collagenous colitis. 1133 29

A multicentre phase II trial was undertaken to evaluate the activity and toxicity of docetaxel plus cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy in patients with urothelial cancer. Thirty-eight patients with locally advanced or metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder, renal pelvis or ureter received the combination of docetaxel 75 mg m(-2) and cisplatin 75 mg m(-2) on day 1 and repeated every 21 days, to a maximum of six cycles. The median delivered dose-intensity was 98% (range 79-102%) of the planned dose for both drugs. There were seven complete responses and 15 partial responses, for and overall response rate of 58% (95% CI, 41-74%). Responses were even seen in three patients with hepatic metastases. The median time to progression was 6.9 months, and the median overall survival was 10.4 months. Two patients who achieved CR status remain free of disease at 4 and 3 years respectively. Grade 3-4 granulocytopenia occurred in 27 patients, resulting in five episodes of febrile neutropenia. There was one toxic death in a patient with grade 4 granulocytopenia who developed acute abdomen. Grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia was rare (one patient). Other grade 3-4 toxicities observed were anaemia (three patients), vomiting (five patients), diarrhoea (four patients), peripheral neuropathy (two patients) and non-neutropenic infections (seven patients). Docetaxel plus cisplatin is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer, and warrants further investigation.
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PMID:Phase II multicentre study of docetaxel plus cisplatin in patients with advanced urothelial cancer. 1187 92

Strongyloides stercoralis (SS) is an intestinal nematode that is mainly endemic in tropical and subtropical regions and sporadic in temperate zones. SS infection frequently occurs in people who have hematologic malignancies, HIV infection and in individuals undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. In this study, we report a 12- year-old immunocompetent boy who was admitted to our hospital with acute abdomen. Laboratory evaluation showed strongyloidiasis, amebiasis and giardiasis. Clinical and laboratory findings immediately improved with albendazole therapy. Therefore, when diarrhea with signs of acute abdomen is observed, stool examinations should be done for enteroparasitosis. This approach will prevent misdiagnosis as acute abdomen. Complete clinical improvement is possible by medical therapy without surgical intervention.
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PMID:Strongyloidiasis associated with amebiasis and giardiaisis in an immunocompetent boy presented with acute abdomen. 1469 65

We describe a 53-year-old man with a history of diarrhea temporally related to the use of flutamide. He developed an acute abdomen, and presented with an ileocecal intussusception due to an edematous ischemic cecum. The ischemia was due to enterocolic lymphocytic phlebitis (ELP), with numerous associated thrombi. The phlebitis involved not only the ischemic area but also the grossly unaffected areas, including the entire right colon, terminal ileum, and appendix. All layers of the bowel wall were involved. Mesenteric veins were also prominently affected, but the arteries were spared. This rare form of vasculitis was associated with a marked lymphocytic infiltrate involving the epithelium of the entire right colon, ileum, and appendix. This is the first reported case of ELP occurring in conjunction with lymphocytic colitis, lymphocytic enteritis, and lymphocytic appendicitis. The temporal association of the patient's symptoms with flutamide use suggests that this peculiar form of lymphocytic inflammation of the veins and mucosa likely represents a drug reaction. We suggest that some cases of lymphocytic colitis may also be associated with ELP but are unlikely to be recognized unless affected submucosal vessels happen to be included in the biopsy.
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PMID:Enterocolic lymphocytic phlebitis with lymphocytic colitis, lymphocytic appendicitis, and lymphocytic enteritis. 1508 75

A 64-year-old man with treated hypothyroidism had 10 months of diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia and recent involuntary 13.6 kg weight loss. He presented to hospital with an acute abdomen that had a radiological correlate of free air under the diaphragm. He was diagnosed with a perforated mid-jejunum due to an ulcerated enteropathy-type T cell lymphoma (ETL), complicating collagenous sprue and cryptic celiac disease. Polymerase chain reaction verified monoclonal gamma- and beta-T cell receptor gene rearrangements in the neoplasm. He had a complete resolution of symptoms when treated with a gluten-free diet in the postoperative period. This is apparently the first report describing collagenous sprue and ETL as synchronous lesions. Because atypical CD8+ lymphocytes are in both the collagenous sprue epithelium and ETL, the implication is that collagenous sprue is a noninvasive component of the ETL.
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PMID:Synchronous collagenous sprue and enteropathy-type T cell lymphoma: variants of the same disease. 1515 84

An 18-year-old long-term Norwegian resident of Somali origin was submitted to hospital with bloody diarrhoea, fever, weight loss and abdominal pain. On initial colonoscopy, colitis with segmental appearance was seen. Apart from a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from gastric aspirate staining, PCR and culture for acid-fast bacilli revealed negative results from the multiple samples taken including sputum, gastric fluid, stool, urine and intestinal mucosa. On physical examination and CT scan, there was no evidence of ascites, lymph node enlargement or pathologic pulmonary findings. Although the diagnosis was uncertain, tuberculostatic therapy was initiated. As the conformational testing of the PCR and the microbiological work-up remained negative and the patient's condition did not improve, tuberculostatic treatment was stopped and Crohn's disease was stated as the most likely diagnosis. Although the patient improved clinically under therapy with prednisolone, newly appearing fistulas deriving from the ascending colon were noted on follow-up. Thus tuberculostatic treatment was restarted. However, signs of an acute abdomen appeared and laparotomy was performed, thereby revealing a peritoneal spread of nodules. Resection of the ileum and ascending colon was performed. Diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis with peritoneal spread was made by histology from resected bowel specimens showing caseating granulomas and a positive PCR result. The patient's condition improved after resection of the highly inflamed bowel segments and tuberculostatic therapy. Our case report shows the difficulty of proving intestinal tuberculosis by microbiological testing, macroscopic features on colonoscopy, histology, imaging such as CT scan and by empirical therapy. Therefore, in cases of colonic inflammation, where intestinal tuberculosis is an important differential diagnosis, a more aggressive diagnostic approach such as explorative laparoscopy should be considered.
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PMID:Pitfalls in the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis: a case report. 1693 27


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